The Chase
by QahlanKwaiya
Summary: Bad things happen to good people, and sometimes good things happen to bad people. What happens when a wolf transforms outside of the La Push reservation? Will the wolf survive? /Brady/OC Pairing. Set three years after Breaking Dawn, Rated M for Mature Topics
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

"Show me a hero, and I'll write you a tragedy."

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

**Carmen's POV**

The moon was glistening in the distance, white light peeking through the green treetops. There was a heavy fog coating the forest floor, and nothing was seen for miles except the running pair of mated wolves. The gigantic black wolf was running as fast as her paws could take her, while the chocolate wolf on her right was matching her speed, their four legs in perfect tandem. They were so close their fur was brushing. Out of the corner of her eye, the black wolf saw red eyes gleaming in the distance. Before she could even warn the wolf on her side, the red-eyed figure was on top of the male, deep red blood was…

Carmen woke up gasping for air. Her sweat drenched, tan skin glistened in the moonlight shining in from the open window. She pulled the wet cotton blanket off of her and let the wind blow over her naked body.

Even though it was November, in Manhattan no less, Carmen was getting too hot at night. She sat up, pushed short black bangs out of her face and yawned. Stretching, she looking at the clock on her night stand and decided four am was no time for a growing girl to be up. Now, though, there was no way she was getting back to sleep. In anger that she had awaken too early, Carmen slammed the alarm clock into her carpeted floor. School started in three hours and she had to leave her house by at least six thirty to make the subway in time.

Carmen stretched her long tan arm to the floor and grabbed a big t-shirt. She pulled the extra-large garment over her head, just in time for her brother to drunkenly stumble into their shared room.

"Heya Car," her brother slurred, as he ambled over to his side of the room, dropping face first onto his twin size bed.

"Coming to school?" Carmen questioned, even though she already knew the answer.

Her brother hadn't been to school in a while, choosing instead to stay out all night with friends rather then get the tuition funded education their other brother worked so hard to give them. Even though Carmen was worried and always covered for him, he never gave his absence much thought. Even with killing more and more brain cells each day, he as smarter than the average student. Carmen was, too.

Their mother had come to America on a student visa to NYU and their father had a full scholarship to Seattle U. They were as smart as their parents; the twins could miss every day of school, and still take the necessary tests at the end of the year and pass with flying colors.

Carlos gave Carmen a mumbled response, and she just shook her head. If he wanted to face the wrath of their older brother, fine by her. At least it wasn't her ass getting chewed out. Victor worked nights and would be home in time to see his truant baby brother.

As Carmen got up to wake up her mother, she was surprised at how short the shirt was on her. It seemed like just yesterday the shirt came all the way down to her knees, and now it was barely mid-thigh. Carmen stepped out of their dark bedroom and into the living to find the couch occupied by her sleeping mother. The TV was still on and the light from the home shopping network was illuminating her exhausted body.

Maria used to be a beautiful woman with gorgeous tanned skin, and deep caramel eyes. But that wasn't the same woman laying face down on the couch in front of Carmen. What she saw was not beauty. A lifetime of hardships and cigarettes left Maria with gray hair, and wrinkled, yellow, worn out skin. It was ironic that Maria had laugh lines on her face, because Carmen couldn't remember the last time she heard her mother's laugh.

"Mama, wake up," Carmen said, shaking her mother a little. Maria opened one bloodshot eye and Carmen knew she wasn't getting her mother to go to work today. Maria grumbled to let her sleep in Spanish, and Carmen obligated.

She quickly went back in her room and pulled on a pair of spandex biking shorts. If the whole house was sleeping Carmen didn't want to stay any longer. She still had a few hours before school started, so she had plenty of time to go for a run along the West Side Highway. The muggers didn't scare her.

Sneakered feet beat along the pavement as she began her run. On one side the sun began to rise, golden rays glistening on the water. On her other, early birds raced to work in their cars, headlights still on. Carmen was the most at peace with herself in moments like this. For somebody who doesn't feel anything, running is the happiest she'll ever get.

**Brady's POV**

The small black-haired girl screamed as the giant man next to her threw her over his shoulder.

"Brady please!" she shrieked, "It's too cold! Brady, tell him not to throw me in!"

Brady looked up at his best friend and raised the bottle of water to his lips,

"Relax, Kimmy." Brady smirked, "Collin's not gonna throw you in. He knows it's too cold."

Brady laughed at Kimmy's accusation; as if a wolf would ever throw his imprint into the freezing cold water. Kimmy should know this by now – it _had_ been three years. As Brady had predicted, Collin didn't throw his imprint into the water, but he did gently toss Kimmy onto the blanket. As she landed Collin quickly followed her down, making sure to tuck her into his side.

"You guys are gross," Brady said, throwing little pebbles at the happy couple.

Well, they weren't exactly a couple. Collin had imprinted on Kimmy three days after he'd phased when they were both thirteen. Collin hadn't known now to handle the imprint and kind of got overzealous with his courting. They had dated until Kimmy found out that he turned into a wolf, and at the age of thirteen she was forever shackled to this boy. They flirt and hook up quick a lot, but if someone were to mention the word "relationship" around Kimmy, she'd punch you in the face. It was weird and made Brady's teenage head hurt.

"You're the gross one, Brady," Kimmy mocked, sticking her tongue out.

Brady scratched his messy hair, and pulled a couple of leaves and twigs fell out.

"Yeah, I am." Brady grinned proudly.

Kimmy made a fake gagging noise, but quickly stopped paying attention to Brady and instead burrowed her head into the crook of Collin's neck.

"Why don't you ever shower Brady? Or even wash yourself? I do, and I smell great," Collin boasted, and Kimmy faintly murmured in agreement.

"That's because, unlike you, I don't have an imprint to shower for," Brady smirked.

Collin gave Brady a hard look, but Brady ignored him. He doesn't understand why Collin got all butthurt over that comment.

Then again, Kimmy didn't like the word imprint or anything to remind her of the pack. It wasn't like Brady could just _not_ talk about it. The pack had been a very important part of his life for the past three years.

Thinking back over those years, Brady shuddered at the awful, awful memories; especially those of the newborn war.

Brady and Collin were supposed to hang back, outside of the danger, and guard the imprints. Well, that's what Brady was _supposed_ to do; he chose instead to have a random, all out mental breakdown. As he was lying on the floor gasping for air, a son of a bitch newborn vampire almost killed one of the imprints.

Sam probably would have killed him if anybody had actually gotten hurt, but at the time Brady and Collin could even go near Sam without almost pissing their pants. Even now, at sixteen, Brady and Collin couldn't look Sam in the eyes, and he's only the third. Brady was a little better now, seeing how he outranks Collin.

Even though Collin's stronger, faster, and older, Collin imprinted young. He didn't have the drive inside him to grow in the pack anymore. He already got his future presented to him with a nice little bow. Collin has Kimmy to anchor himself back to humanity. Brady doesn't.

Leah howled off into the distance, signaling a patrol change. Brady rose, waiting for his friend to join him, but Collin waved him off. Brady jogged a little bit before stripping off his shirt and shorts. He almost always went without underwear, mostly because he ripped almost all his underwear up. He wears the rest during school hours, a fact that still deeply disturbed his mother. As Brady started to roll up his clothes to tie around his ankle, Collin jogged over to his part of the forest.

"Hey sexy," Collin joked, taking off his shirt as well.

"At least buy be a drink before you try seeing me naked," Brady laughed without turning around.

Before Collin could response, Brady phased, chocolate brown fur replacing tanned human flesh. Brady stretched his elongated wolf body out, breaking off into a run. Chocolate covered paws beat against the reddish-brown dirt path dug out from too many supersized wolf paws running at inhuman speeds, repeating the same loops, everyday, for the rest of their lives. As his mind synced with the two other wolves currently running watchful circles around the government allotted Native American land, Brady welcomed the peaceful melding of their minds.

***jumps up and down***

**Well I hope you guys enjoyed this! 3 I'm super excited for this story to develop, and I hope you stick around to see this story too the end! This story is rated M, for very mature topics as the story progresses and of course language. Please rate and review, I will respond to every review with well wishes and virtual hugs. Thank you!**

**POV means Point of View.**

**Brady/OC Pairing.**

**Set three years after Breaking Dawn.**

**Rated M for Mature Topics and Language**

**SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO MY BETA-READER, PAL, AND HOMEGURL**

**ESSA / ESSATHETWERP**

**(**** /u/1895231/EssaTheTwerp)**

**!**


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves."

- William Shakespeare

**BRADY'S POV**

Brady stared up at the light blue, chipping ceiling that hung over his bedroom. And that's all it was; a room with a bed in it.

Each time Brady came home late, missed Sunday family gatherings, or had more unexplained bruises or stitches on his neck or arms, something was taken from his room. It started out with his skateboard, then his posters. His parents would have taken his clothes away, if only they had stopped disappearing so often already.

However, after the newborn war, the Tribal Council met with Collin's, Embry's, and his own parents, and they ended up giving Brady more slack. The posters and skateboards never returned, but if Brady missed curfew it wasn't held against him.

The smell of Meatloaf, or what Brady learned was supposed to be meatloaf, reached his nose and he gagged just a little. His mother was a wonderful woman, but it turned out that she was unlucky in love _and_ in her cooking abilities.

"BRADY! DINNER WILL BE READY AT 6:30!" his mother screamed, causing Brady to flail internally. It smelt like whatever she was cooking would be ready in fifteen minutes, so that meant it was already 6:15.

Fifteen minutes too late to go to Emily's house for dinner.

As one of the oldest imprints, and the imprint to the former Alpha, the wolves held Emily to the highest regard. But having nine wolves running around your house eating in everything in sight was hard, and some rules had to be set down.

Including the one that dinner starts at six-thirty, always, and if you want to eat with the Uley's, your plate setting must be there by six on the dot.

"MOM I'M GOING OUT WITH COLLIN," Brady screamed as he made his way over to his window. Before his mother could formulate an answer, Brady swung out his window and ran at lightening fast speed to Emily's house. He went around to the side where the bathroom was, because Emily always kept that window open.

Brady packed up a few paces and lunged for the window. The windowpane creaked at the unwelcomed appearance of Brady's fingertips. Brady pulled himself up and landed quietly in the bathroom. Emily was the only person in the house; Sam should be off of patrol at 6:30.

Brady snuck downstairs and, as Emily's back was turned, slipped into a chair at the dinner table. The large teenager caused the chair under him to groan with disapproval. Quickly, he ducked his head down and reached over to sneak a plate before the matriarch of the house noticed him. With his devious, sneaky skills he got a cup, fork, and napkin… right before a wooden spoon slapped his hand.

"BRADY! You know damn well that the dinner table is set at 6, and we eat dinner at 6:30!" Emily scolded, making sure to hit his hand as she was saying each word.

"Em, it's only 6:15! And look!" Brady smiled, pointing to his place setting

"Fifteen minutes late Brady; you know the rules."

Brady ran around the table to where the small woman was scooping food onto plates. He snatched the bowl out of her arms, and in record time served the table dinner, put the dishes in the sink, and ran the water. Before Emily could get her surroundings in order, Brady grabbed her and held her close to his chest.

"Brady…you're…crushing…me…"

Brady loosened his grip, and cuddled her even more, laughing as he said, "No Emily, my love is crushing you, and maybe my empty stomach."

Emily tried to squeeze out of Brady's grip, saying, "Brady, no. You have to follow the rules in this house!"

Brady released the smaller female and put a dejected look on his face and whispered, "Collin ate past 10 last night."

Emily laughed, and put her hands on her hips. "Fine! But you have to do the dishes."

Brady smirked and grabbed the plate with the most food. "Don't I always?" he asked with a grin.

After dinner, as the other wolves went home, Brady started on the dishes.

Emily picked herself up and sat on the counter next to the young man, watching him doing the chore he'd always volunteered for.

On the nights when Sam had to run a late patrol, or a meeting, Brady stuck around longer. He always claimed that a door needed fixing or that the faucet was doing that thing again and Brady was the only one who knew how to fix it.

Emily's injures made all the pack members extra protective, and Sam himself had voiced many times that he would like a wolf on her 24/7. Even as the younger wolves giggled and Emily turned bright red, Jacob had put it down in the Pack Principles.

After the newborn war and Jacob Black took his rightful place as Alpha, he sat down with the five members of the Tribal Council: Billy Black, Quil Ateara III, Sue Clearwater, Joseph Lahote, and Samuel Cameron. Along with the council members, he, Leah, and Sam made the official doctrine that the pack had the follow.

"How are you doing Brady?" Emily questioned, pulling on the string to her pale blue sweatshirt.

"I'm doing well," Brady said as he pressed down on an extra tough stain. "I have a paper that I have to write about The War of 1812 so that's gonna be annoying." He focused his annoyance of the paper on a flimsy dish, and with a low snap the disc broke in half.

And Emily fell off the counter with a startled squeak.

"Oh my gosh Emily, I'm so sorry," Brady said as he picked up the fallen girl.

He sniffed the air to see if she was hurt.

"I'm fine Brady, just be more careful next time." Emily laughed. She then surveyed the sharp pieces of plastic on the floor. "This seems dangerous; I'll go over to the couch," Emily said as she kissed Brady on the cheek.

Brady picked up all the broken pieces, wrapped them in a cloth, and put them in the garbage. Three years ago that would have destroyed Brady, but he's tougher now. He can handle his own… somewhat, at least, in the pack. Hell, the other day he told Jared that something he did to Kim was messed up.

And he didn't even piss his pants.

"Brady are you gonna stay over? When's your patrol?" Emily questioned as she absently flipped through a magazine.

"I have patrol from 8 to 1 am. I'm gonna start the paper with Collin soon, though," Brady said, "Sam's in the driveway, just so you know. Smells like he's got something."

"Shit I forgot," Emily exclaimed as she jump over the back of the couch. "Go Brady, go!" Emily said, pushing him towards the back

"Bom Chicka Wah Wah!" Brady laughed as he got a shoe thrown at his head.

Brady went into the woods, and took his shoes off. He tied his shoelaces together and threw them around his neck. He dialed a number he knew very well.

"Hey Collin, you busy?" Brady asked. "How about I come over before patrol?"

"Hey Brady," Collin said, even as Brady heard giggling coming from the phone. "Kimmy's over, so I'm gonna hangout with her till 8."

"Whatever," Brady muttered, flipping the phone shut.

Brady took off the rest of his clothes and put them and his shoes in the bucket taped to the back of one of Sam's trees. Emily did that after neighbors kept giving her dirty looks at finding men's clothing strewn all over her backyard.

Brady jumped, twisted, and landed on four feet. He took off for a clean run to the rockier part of the beach. Brady was the most at peace when running, even if he had different people in his head. Drowning out Jared's whiny babble or Leah's plans with Jake later, Brady instead focused on the ground beneath him. Red and brown dirt turned to dust beneath his powerful paws, the wind beating against his fur…

As he approached the beach, Brady sniffed the air to see if humans were around. With no sign of them, he started to slowly make his way up the rocks. When he found one that was solid enough, he phased back.

Standing towards the ocean, watching the rough waves crash against the rocks, Brady knew the waves couldn't hurt him. Nothing could.

Standing proudly and boldly, he gazed at the sea, knowing that there had to be something out there for him.

**CARMEN'S POV**

The classroom smelt awful. Too much perfume, too much body odor… The chemicals in the lab were bothering her too.

Nobody else seemed to notice, though.

Carmen pulled her white polo t-shirt closer up, using the collar to cover her nose. The latex gloves that Carmen was wearing in her chemistry class were too tight, even though they fit perfectly last week.

The boy next to her tapped her on the shoulder. "Maybe you shouldn't be in the class," he laughed.

Carmen started to get hot, and turned around, glaring at the punk dangerously. "Ya know, with Carlos being your brother and all," he laughed again, a crowd beginning to circulate around them.

Carmen stepped closer to the boy, shaking fists at her sides. "What is that supposed to mean?" she snarled.

"C'mon Car, everybody knows your brother's running around with the Ramirez gang. They're the only Hispanic meth gangs nearby." The boy turned around and looked at the growing crowd, smirking. "She's probably teaching her brother how to make meth."

"Holy shit, it's like Breaking Bad!" The crowd laughed.

"You racist bastard" Carmen said, as she start to shake, her anger boiling precariously close the edge.

"At least I'm not the one without a father," the punk smirked.

With one swift punch, the boy was on the floor, blood pooling beside his head. The crowd began to back away, eyes wide and whispers passing between everyone.

"WHAT?! ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO TALK SHIT?!" Carmen roared.

The crowd quickly disintegrated, and Carmen looked over what at what she had done. The anger disappeared, as it always did, and was quickly replaced with guilt and sadness. A tear pooled in her eye, and Carmen ran quickly, a little _too_ fast, honestly, to the bathroom.

Carmen splashed her face with cold water, trying to wash away all the bad feelings. Her too-tight polo shirt ripped at the armpit when she'd punched the boy in the face. Even though she was breaking dress code, she put her shirt in her backpack to repair later.

With anger and uneasiness still pooling in her stomach, she searched her bag for her Ativan. The bag was too big for her to find it easily, though, and as she groped around for it she began to shake with anger once again.

"Fuck it," Carmen grunted.

She took her ripped t-shirt, wrapped it around her hand, and punched through the bathroom window. The glass shattered and clattered to the bathroom floor.

As the alarms starting going off, the noise hurt Carmen's ears more than she'd expected. She heard the slamming of boots on linoleum floors as the security guards approached.

Carmen gracefully swung out of the first floor bathroom window, and ran to the fenced sidewalk that protected the prestigious private school Carmen and Carlos both attended from the outside world.

She tossed her backpack over the fence, and quickly climbed over it herself. She ran as innocently as possible to the bus stop two blocks away, trying not to look suspicious. As she waited against the sign marking the bus stop, she closed her eyes and prayed the world would go away.

When Carmen got home, she kicked off her worn sneakers and unlocked the front door, completely exhausted.

As the door opened, the smell of marijuana hit her at full force.

Carmen pushed the door open, and slammed it shut. "YOU'VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!" Carmen screamed, running into the living room and seizing the nearest bong furiously.

The fucking stoners were sitting on her mother's couch; _her mother's couch. _The smoke was settling into the floor, leaving the apartment smelling like an illegal fog of smoke. Carmen moved in front of the TV and raised the bong above her head before slamming it down and crushing it to pieces. At the loss of their precious smokeable, the stoners groaned in displeasure.

"GET OUT NOW!" Carmen screamed, before demanding, "AND WHERE IS CARLOS?"

In unison they pointed to the bathroom, and as Carmen approached the bathroom, they quickly stumbled out of the apartment. Carmen rapped her knuckles against the door angrily.

Carlos opened the door and wiped his nose, "What's up sweet-?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Carmen punched him in the gut.

Barely feeling anything Carlos grabbed Carmen's hair and pulled her down as he punched her in the chest. Both twins getting sweatier and punches becoming forceful, Carmen got the upper hand and slammed her brother's head into the coffee table, snapping it clear in half. They both froze in shock, and then Carmen leapt to her feet.

"Holy shit, I'm sorry Carlos," Carmen mumbled, helping her brother up.

Carlos shook his shaggy hair and laughed. "I should be mad, but that was awesome!"

"Are you okay?" Carmen questioned, cracking her fingers.

"I should be, right?" Carlos laughed. "I got some good shots in too. Shouldn't you be hurt?"

Carmen laughed as she checked herself over, "I'm good. Probably all the vitamins Victor makes us take."

"Probably" Carlos laughed, as he went over to open a window. "So, overreact much?"

"Don't want to talk about it; bad day. Leave the bedroom alone, and _clean up_, asshole," Carmen said as she went to her bedroom.

She closed the door behind her, and locked it tight. She stripped off her top, bra and knee-high socks. She sat on her bed, and just flopped down. Over the emotional roller coaster that was today, Carmen rooted around the shoebox filled with pills under the bed. She grabbed the ones that would take the anxiety away and knock her out. She put both little white pills on her tongue, swallowing them dry as she rested her head on her pillow.

She stared up at the dark-blue ceiling. Cracks began to swirl together as the chemicals made their way to her brain. Her thoughts became confused, so she closed her eyes.

Even though she was lying down in her house, this wasn't her home. This was a cave her mother dragged her family into to escape her pain. And maybe one day, Carmen would have the courage to crawl out of it.

It was late into the night when the pale stranger stared into the city apartment. His dark red eyes glimmered in the window, looking at his next delicious prey. The stranger pushed greasy red hair out of his face, and sniffed at the window deeply. Even though the younger two meat bags smelt of something foul, that was simply a minor detail that he'd overlook.

He flexed his hand, and used his sharp nail to quietly and gently carve out a small hole in the window. He removed the pane, stuck his hand through the hole, and unlocked the window. He opened the window and then stepped into the apartment before silently stalking into the living room. He eyed the contents of the room before his eyes settled on the first victim. He decided to start with the older woman sleeping quietly on the couch.

Just as he sunk his teeth into her, two twin wolves burst into the room.

**THANK YOU PISCESWORLD & ESSATHETWERP**

**FOR REVIEWING! :)**

**PLEASE FOLLOW, REVIEW, AND ENJOY THE STORY. **

**SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO MY BETA-READER, PAL, AND HOMEGURL**

**ESSA / ESSATHETWERP**

**( /u/1895231/EssaTheTwerp)**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter three

"The tragedy of life is what dies inside a man while he lives."

- Albert Schweitzer

* * *

It was dark in the sullen apartment. At almost nine-thirty, the Cea family was finally sitting down for dinner.

Victor made his living at night acting as a bouncer to a local club and in the wee hours of the morning as a driver. The pay wasn't great, but his boss had a soft spot for him. When rappers or drug cartels came in, it was always Victor who drove them home. His line of work was by no means safe, but Victor seemed to be built for his tough life. Typically you don't mess with a six-foot, two hundred and fifteen pound man just barely out of his teens. The gun imprint in his waistband helped matters, too.

Earlier that day, Carlos had gone on a cleaning rampage, after rubbing a little something on his gums, and fixed up the apartment. He had even gone outside to the local bodega to go buy some flowers to cover the lingering smell of stale smoke.

After knocking the special warning knock on the door, Victor unlocked the door and muscled his way inside, carrying two bags of takeout Chinese food. He dropped the food on the table and went over to the twins' bedroom, which was the biggest room in the house, and that was not saying much_._ He noticed Carmen's shoebox was out again, and gently kicked it back underneath her bed, flopping down right on top of her.

"Please, Vic," Carmen moaned as she tried to get out from underneath the gigantic man.

Victor sat up on Carmen's torso and looked at the other occupant of the bedroom.

"Carlos, out" Victor commanded shortly. As the boy left to go watch TV, Victor got up.

He knelt down to Carmen's head and planted a kiss on her forehead, running his fingers through her sweaty, short-cropped hair.

"We all love you kid, truly. You just have to wake up each morning. Things are changing and you have to be around to see it, good and bad." Victor rubbed her face into the pillow and a soft giggle squeaked out of the young girl. He pulled her out of bed, and absentmindedly traced his thumb over the harsh scars permanently etched on her skin. Victor pulled her into a hug and they embraced for a moment. Then he slipped a long chain around her neck.

"What is this?" Carmen asked, as Victor planted the gold ring in his sister's hand.

"This was dad's. Mom gave it to me when he died and I figured it would be better for you to have it instead of Carlos," Victor laughed. "Sorry the chain is gigantic I found it randomly in a drawer."

Carmen smiled slightly as Victor left the room. With the chain around her neck, Carmen felt a lot more secure and grounded.

It was always nice for her big brother to be home.

She kneeled down on her floor and searched in the uncharted territory that was the abyss underneath her bed. She pushed her shoebox further back and pulled out her prepaid chunky block that acted as her phone to call her family back in Washington.

Carmen punched the numbers on her cellphone to reach her only place of solace. As the phone started to ring, Carmen held her father's gold ring in her palm. Then, the sweetest voice answered the phone.

"Well if it isn't the long lost Carmen Clearwater," her Aunt Sue, crooned into the phone.

"Auntie, my last name is Cea," Carmen laughed.

"Sweetheart, you are a Clearwater! Victor sent me more photos of you guys. You're just as tall as Leah! You know you're coming here for Christmas break," Sue cheerfully replied.

"I know! Also, during track I matched Leah's time! I'm getting real fucking fast," Carmen bragged.

Sue answered sternly, "No cursing. I'm not afraid to put soap in your mouth. And good for you! You could almost pass as Leah's twin."

"I know, Seth called the other day, almost in tears. He thought you were joking but between you and Jacob Black, you guys were able to wrestle him to the ground and keep his mouth open. And I can't wait for Christmas," Carmen said a little wistfully.

After exchanging a few more updates Carmen heard some commotion coming from the living room and she rushed her aunt off the phone.

Carlos's head peeked into the room. "Mom's home, and is probably drunker than I've ever been my whole life you're warned. Dinner's set."

Carmen threw her phone back underneath her bed, and joined her family at the small dinner table.

As Carmen sat down at the dinner table, she couldn't shake an uneasy feeling.

However, it seemed like she was the only who felt this way because Carlos was shoveling pork fried rice into his bottomless pit of a stomach and Maria was absently pooling some lo mein around her fork.

"So what happened to the coffee table?" Victor asked wearily, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if a headache was already starting to form.

"Nothing," both twins mumbled in unison.

"You know, denial is not just a river in Egypt" Victor said sternly, albeit the joke, as the twins chuckled to themselves.

"Can't we just have a nice dinner?" Maria slurred to no one specifically.

"Here here," Victor and Carlos said, as they raised their Bud Light's to a cheer.

"I'm glad you came for dinner, Mom," Carmen mumbled genuinely, glancing at her mom.

Maria pointed a finger at her daughter and said, "The school called, Missy, and said that your ass was home way before three o'clock today. Also, try to stop working out so much, no boy likes a dyke."

Carmen's jaw tightened and she began to shake.

Carmen stared straight into her mother's eyes as she spit out, "You know, no man likes a booze whore."

Maria flung her plate at her daughter, but Carmen easily dodged it. However, she couldn't avoid her mother's hands pulling her short cropped hair all the way across table. Carmen just closed her eyes as her mother punched her squarely in the face. Maria's wrist cracked and she let out a scream of pain.

Victor helped Maria wrap her wrist up in the kitchen and poured her another glass of straight whiskey. Carmen ran into the bedroom and was followed swiftly by her twin.

She went to slam her bedroom door, but Carlos stuck his foot in the way, and shut the door behind him.

Carmen turned to her brother and screamed in frustration.

Carlos just laughed and placed his hands on his sister's shoulders. "You need to relax."

"Easy for you to say, Mister Druggie McDruggerson," Carmen retorted, pushing her brother's hands off her shoulders "Also, your hands are really hot - don't touch me."

"Beanpole," Carlos threw back at his sister.

Carmen waved her hand at her brother's insult, and flopped down on his bed. "You've gotten taller, too."

"Yeah," Carlos laughed as he went over to his dresser, opening the top drawer, and pulled out a few items,. "I shake, too, like you. This is the only thing that stops it."

She grabbed the small baggie of white powder and eyed it suspiciously, . "Stops the shaking huh?"

Carlos took the bag back and poured it out over a mirror. He grabbed his school identification card and started cutting the powder into lines.

Carlos laughed giving his sister a knowing look, "That shit in your shoebox is just as bad as this stuff. Only difference is that you get them from a doctor, and I get this in the alley out back."

Carmen crossed her arms and scoffed, but was tempted by the thought of total relaxation. She looked over searchingly at her brother.

After some careful thinking, Carmen finally caved, "Fuck it, fine."

Carlos let out a whoop of excitement, and pulled two dollars out of his pocket. He rolled the bills up nice and tight, handing his sister a dollar. After doing a few lines himself, he rested his head back on the wall and gave his sister the mirror. Carmen finished up the rest of the mirror and moved closer to her brother.

The strange chemicals invaded her brain, infected her blood, and tickled her fingertips as a small trickle of blood dripped onto the bed sheet from her nostril. Everything sped up and slowed down as Carmen's body stopped shaking. Her mouth didn't remember English, and her tongue slipped into her native Spanish mixed with some Quileute her father used to sing to her.

Carmen started to tell her brother of the stories that her father and uncle used to tell, of great men twisting and turning into gigantic inhuman beasts to protect their tribes from evil snowmen.

Carlos slapped Carmen's leg and laughed, "Fuckin' tard, it was vampires not snowmen!"

"I'm speaking with the spirits." Carmen brought her fingers to her lips and hushed her brother, "And it was snowmen, Cold Ones, equals snowmen."

Carlos laughed and rolled his eyes; He laid down on Carmen's thigh and gave a sigh of relief.

He got really quiet, and then whispered, "Do you think that's real Car?"

Carmen moved Carlos's head off her leg, and pressed her side against the cold glass window. She looked at the night sky out towards the stars. Her face started tingling as a tear escaped and ran down her cheek.

"I hope so, we all need saving."

* * *

Hours later, Victor came into the room and laid down on his sister's empty bed.

With his mother sleeping on the couch and his two siblings okay for the night, Victor blissfully fell asleep on his sister's bed.

His family was fucked up, seriously screwed in the ass, but they were his family. At least under Victor's own roof, they would be safe.

* * *

It was late into the night when Victor was awoken suddenly. He was covered with sweat and he shook his head to clear the lingering nightmare from his mind. He pulled the blanket off Carmen's bed and crossed the room to the bed with his sleeping siblings on it. He picked his brother up off of his sister and turned him so that he was facing her feet. He fixed his sister's head so that it was completely on the pillow and chuckled to himself seeing that she had wrapped her hand around her father's ring in her sleep.

Clearwater men didn't have the best track record with their heath. Their father Henry died of a heart attack on the subway six years ago. When Henry dropped to the ground, nobody bothered to help him out. After thirty minutes gasping for air, rolling around on the floor, he finally gave out. Some junkie stole his wallet, along with his identification and the rest of his money, but luckily they didn't check his left hand.

Maria filed a missing person's report when Henry did not answer their phone calls and did not come home for two days. Two weeks later, Maria got a call asking her to come to the morgue to claim her husband's body. Something about seeing the love of her life dead in a box, bloated and gray, messed with Maria's already fragile psyche. Maria gave Victor the news, and left it to him to tell his baby siblings that daddy was never coming home.

He had to break his little siblings' hearts, and watch his baby sister cry her first real tears. His little siblings, who he used to play cowboys and half-Indians with, who used to pretend to cry so shopkeepers would give them free candy and bubblegum.

Maria couldn't deal with her husband's death and at fifteen, Victor became a man. He was the one who called his aunt in Washington to send his father's ashes back home. He was the one who left school and went to Carlos's school when he got into one to many fights, and he was the one who came home and found his sister half dead in their bathtub.

Three years later on the anniversary of their father's death, Victor came home on his lunch break to find a thirteen year old, pubescent Carmen laying naked in a pool of her own blood. She took their daddies' old shaving razor and cut straight across both her wrists leaving behind a note on pink stationary paper saying she just wanted the voices in her head to stop.

Sometimes late at night when Victor closes his eyes really tight, he still sees the harsh red blood against Carmen's pale skin. Or the way she was like a limp doll in the paramedic's arms as she tried to breath life into her.

With these thoughts clouding Victor's judgment, he wasn't paying attention to where he was walking and his stepped barefoot on a piece of mirror. His weight made the mirror snap, slicing open his toe and part of his foot.

Victor cursed his lazy siblings and their inability to keep their room clean. Victor would kill to have his own apartment – hell, even his own fucking room. Victor heard his mother moving around outside and relaxed on the floor.

He grabbed one of Carlos's many dirty shirts that was strewn across the floor and attempted to soak up the blood. It hurt to put weight on his foot, so Victor just sat back and tried to gather enough strength to hop over to the bathroom to dress his wound. The shirt wasn't controlling the bleeding, and Victor prayed to all that was holy that he didn't have to go to the Urgent Care center, which was a couple blocks over. The Cea family did not have the money to afford the hospital; Victor could barely afford to feed himself and his siblings.

The last thing Victor Cea Clearwater would remember, before it all went black, was a bloodcurdling scream. Victor had never heard a scream of absolute fear and terror; it was his natural instinct to go protect whoever was in danger and was it torture for him not being able to save the victim.

However, just as realized that it was his mother screaming for her life, two giant animals appeared, seeming to have his siblings' bodies. These huge animals were no match for the small city apartment and sadly, Victor was caught in the crossfire.

Five years ago at a party for his Uncle Harry, Victor Cea met his cousin Leah's sidekick, Emily Young. Emily didn't pay much attention to the young boy, but Victor was in love from the first moment he saw her. Two years later, he would lose his virginity to a girl named Emily just because of the Native American woman he loved so much.

Unlike Victor, Emily didn't die the day she was attacked by a wolf.

When the police finally arrived at the Cea apartment thirty minutes after the chaos, the bloody mess that was left of this young man would haunt the responding officers until the day they retired.

* * *

All Leah could think about was how there were reasons why Sam's mind was as protected as it was and why his personality was as ripped and scarred as his lover's face.

Leah sat on a chair in a motel room located in the middle of bumblefuck Pennsylvania, she continued watching her two baby cousins sleep.

Both Carmen and Carlos were sleeping on the king sized bed, Seth and Jacob were outstretched in the woods, phased and ready to make sure both twins didn't run off.

After what seemed like years trying to calm them down enough to finally phase back, the trio was able to find a room to sleep as humans, in a human bed. When the receptionist gave them some trouble at their request of one room with one bed Jacob barely had enough time to grab Carmen and throw her towards the woods before she phased again. Carlos looked like he was ready to join her but when Seth made it clear that she was the safest with Jake, Carlos went into the room and started devouring seventy-five dollars worth of McDonalds. Carmen was able to phase back once she fell asleep from exhaustion and Jacob carried her inside.

Seth helped Carlos wash off all the mud and blood that was caked on him and shaved his head with the shaver they had brought. Carmen was asleep, so Leah cleaned her cousin up armed with a wet washcloth before proceeding to shave her short hair off.

For Leah, the worst part about phasing was when she had to sit in Sue's kitchen and watching her beautiful black hair fall all around her. She figured it would be better for Carmen not to see this part.

As the door opened, the twins stirred at the loud noise. Leah and Jacob both froze, but when no movement followed the noise, they quickly fell back into a deep sleep.

Jacob made his way towards Leah, and wrapped a thick arm around her. Leah put one of her arms on his arm, and finally started to breath in his embrace.

"How much do you know, Jacob?" Leah asked, shaken as tears were starting to pool in her eyes.

Jacob brushed a kiss on top of her head, and then knelt down facing her, "I can only make out bits and pieces, but it wasn't good."

"They killed somebody, didn't they?" Leah proclaimed as one tear managed to escape.

Jacob nodded as he brushed away his beloved's tear. Leah quickly started to regain composure and looked at the twins. They were sleeping not as her cousins, but as members of her pack.

She stood up and approached them, crossing her arms, "Because of the circumstances and their instability, they don't have to pay for their actions. From what I've seen, they aren't too clear on what happened. We don't have to be the people that piece things together for them."

Jacob considered his Beta's orders and nodded, agreeing that it was the best way to handle the situation.

As Seth howled in the distance, Jacob smiled.

"Well then, welcome to the La Push Pack."

* * *

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